Care England has called on the Home Office to reconsider its decision to reject recommendations to place senior care workers and registered managers on the shortage occupation list (SOL).
In a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, England’s largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care said refusing to adopt the Home Office Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) recommendations would further exacerbate workforce pressures on the sector.
“Our letter to the Home Secretary stresses that her department’s plans when combined with the rejection of the MAC’s SOL recommendations have the potential to create a perfect storm,” said Care England chief executive Martin Green (pictured).
“The adult social care sector is already afflicted by a workforce crisis as a result of Covid-19,” he added.
The letter also takes issue with the government’s planned points-based immigration system, which Care England does not provide sufficient routes for adult social care workers to enter the UK.
Care England has entered a call with other key sectoral bodies urging the government to pay sufficient dues to the adverse impact which changes to the immigration system will have.
“Care England will continue to campaign on behalf of the sector to ensure the creation of an immigration system which accommodates the sector’s needs,” said Green.
“The government’s policy actions in relation to immigration will likely be a litmus test of the extent to which it values the sector, a test which it is currently failing,” he added.
